back now with more of "today" on a tuesday morning, 26th day of january 2010. just a pretty day here in the northeast after what -- we got hammered yesterday, and the weather was bad, too. no it was just raining sideways, the wind was blowing. it was not nice at all, but it really is nice today. i'm matt lauer. that's just such an easy one. >> i know it, but we love it. >> works every time. >> i'm matt lauer out on the plaza with al roker and natalie morales. coming up in this half hour, skater nancy kerrigan is back in the news for all the wrong reasons. another tragedy in her life. this time, her father is dead, her brother is under arrest for assaulting her father, and there's a lot of unanswered

questions as to what actually happened. of course, nancy kerrigan was in the news not only as a skater, but as the victim of an attack back in 1994. this morning we'll talk to kristi yamaguchi, a fellow skater and someone who's known nancy kerrigan for an awfully long time and get her thoughts on what the kerrigan family is going through right now. >> absolutely. >> such a sad story. also coming up, food intolerance is such a big issue nowadays. a lot of times, you may not even know which food is triggering some of the issues that you may have, whether it comes to bloating, overall discomfort, irrelevantal bowel syndrome. it could be related to lactose or gluten -- >> hope everyone's enjoying their cheerios! >> we'll tell you some symptoms to watch out for and also changes you can make to your diet. >> absolutely. and later on, it's not too far away, valentine's day. thinking about a little romance? well, if you've been dragging your feet, we have great getaways from tarzan and jane fantasies to the new blue lagoon.

>> aaaah! >> natalie, all right. somebody's in for a good valentine's day. >> tarzan and jane. >> you said tarzan and jane. before all that, let's go inside to ann curry, standing by at the news desk with a check of the headlines. hi, ann. >> hey, thanks so much, matt. good morning once again, everybody. in the news this morning, president obama is now putting the finishing touches on tomorrow's state of the union speech, which will focus on jobs and the economy, and he is to ask congress for a three-year freeze on domestic funding to reduce the federal deficit. on monday, the president outlined a plan aimed at helping the middle class families shoulder the burdens of college tuition, child and elder care. president obama is also -- in other news this morning, the taliban is claiming responsible for a car bombing today near a u.s.-run military base in kabul, afghanistan. a foreign military convoy was the target of the attack and officials reported at least six people have been wounded. also this morning, a bomb exploded near a police crime lab in baghdad. at least 18 people died. more than 80 were wounded. the attack came one day after

three coordinated bombings killed at least 41 people near hotels popular with foreigners. searchers off the coast of lebanon are now looking for those black boxes from monday's plane crash. the ethiopian airlines plane crashed in flames and stormy weather on monday. officials say the pilot did not follow directions from the tower when he took off. all 90 people on board are now feared dead, and surveillance cameras captured the moments before the crash, followed by an apparent explosion. two weeks after the devastating earthquake, haiti's prime minister told some people from other countries meeting monday in montreal that haiti will need about five to ten years of international help to rebuild. on monday, john travolta landed his own plane in haiti carrying relief supplies and a team of doctors. the federal government today issued an immediate ban on the use of handheld texting devices by drivers of interstate buses and large commercial trucks. violators will face fines of up to $2,750. and there was some severe

weather on monday from the midwest to the northeast. blinding snow brought near whiteout conditions in north and south dakota and heavy rain and high wind triggered flooding and knocked out power to thousands of homes in the northeast. those are some of the top stories. it is now four minutes past the hour. let's go back outside to matt and al. >> all right. we're saying hello to one of our fellow employees. >> dee dee thomas. >> mr. roker. >> hey, what's buildon? >> it's a community service organization that does community service locally. >> thank you for coming down. a nice group of kids and adults who brought buildon signs. thank you very much. let's check your weather and see what's happening. a big storm coming into southern california. two to three inches possible, maybe even some heavier snow in some of the sierra mountains. the good news is it's not a series of storms like we had last week. we're talking generally about one to two, maybe three inches of rain in some of the foothills. take a look at the rest of the country. sunshine here. windy conditions. we've got sunny skies through

the gulf coast, lake-effect and lake-enhanced snows around the great lakes. we'r >> good morning. things will be pretty quiet compared to yesterday. a mixture of sunshine and clouds as we had through the day. 20% or 30% chance of snow 20% or 30% chance of snow that's your latest weather. natalie? al, thank you. now to the sudden death of 70-year-old daniel kerrigan, father of olympic figure skater nancy kerrigan. he was found dead sunday, and police have now charged nancy's brother mark with assault. nbc's jeff rossen is outside the

kerrigan family home in stoneham, massachusetts. jeff, good morning. >> reporter: hi, natalie. good morning to you. yeah, just absolutely more heartache for nancy kerrigan, a woman who has been through so much heartache and personal tragedy over the years, now dealing with this intense personal tragedy. all happened, police say, over the weekend inside the kerrigan family home here in stoneham, massachusetts. officers on scene say nancy kerrigan's brother attacked her father. now her father is dead and her brother is in jail. suffering all over again, nancy kerrigan showed up at her parents' house monday, the crime scene where her father, dan kerrigan, just died. now, nancy kerrigan's own brother, mark -- that's him -- is charged with assault in their father's death. according to the police report, mark kerrigan "wanted to use the phone and his father would not let him. he said that he struggled with his father and put his hands around his father's neck and his father fell to the floor."

mark kerrigan told officers he thought his father was faking it, but soon, at 70 years old, dan kerrigan would be dead. officers on scene describe mark kerrigan as "intoxicated, belligerent and combative." they used pepper spray to calm him down. >> he is very distraught and in grief. he denied the allegations of the commonwealth -- >> reporter: in court monday, mark kerrigan openly wept, the suspect in a tragic family feud, a family that's been through so much already. >> why! [ crying ] >> reporter: 16 years ago this month, it was nancy kerrigan in tears, slugged in the knees while practicing for the 1994 winter olympics. rival skater tonya harding later admitted she covered up the attack by her ex-husband, jeff gillooly, and her bodyguards. >> i'm upset and angry that someone would do this, and i really want to skate today. >> reporter: nancy had the image of being america's sweetheart. she was a very graceful skater.

once she was attacked, there was no question that the american public was pulling for her. >> help me! >> reporter: who knew it would get so much harder than this? pulling through that nightmare only to face this one. >> couldn't ask for a nicer family. you've seen what the family has been through over the years, the ups and downs. >> reporter: for mark kerrigan, mostly downs. as nancy skated on and built a family, he was getting in trouble. an out-of-work plumber with a long criminal record, including assault, drug charges and jail time, and now this. >> he's charged with assault now because we don't know the cause of death. if the medical examiner's office determines the cause of death to be a homicide, charges could be upgraded to manslaughter or even murder. >> reporter: nancy kerrigan was so strong in 1994, going on to win silver in the winter games, strength she'll need again with her brother behind bars and her father gone. the kerrigan family would not

speak with us on camera, understandably so, so soon after the tragedy, but they did tell us in a statement "the family's focus is on mourning dan and honoring his life and many contributions." natalie. >> jeff rossen, thank you. and earlier this morning, meredith spoke with nancy kerrigan's longtime friend and olympic teammate, kristi yamaguchi, and nbc's chief legal analyst dan abrams, and she began by asking kristi her reaction when she heard the terrible news. >> well, shock, obviously, initially, and just heavy heart for nancy. you know, i've known her family since i was about 13, 14, our first introduction to the u.s. nationals at the time, and you know, we've shared a lot of great times together. she's been through so much. so you know, i definitely want to express support and condolences on behalf of the skating world to her. >> you know, you said you grew up together skating, and your parents also, and her parents

would often be in the stands together watching the two of you compete and practice. can you share any memories you have of her dad, what kind of a father he was? >> well, i think in the skating world, a lot of dads are typically in the background, and everyone always asks, well, do you have a dad? you say, yes, but nancy's father dan was always right there beside her, one of her biggest supporters, obviously, brenda, her mom, and dad. and you know, my mom shared a memory that she had that her and dan often sat hours and hours together while we were competing in the compulsory figures, and they would ke, so, what place are kristi and nancy going to get, 9th and 10th or 10th and 11th today? because we were known to be challenged in that area of competition. but you know, he was definitely behind her, so proud of everything nancy had

accomplished. >> and i know you have a message for her from the entire skating community. what do you want her to know? >> i just want her to know that the entire skating community is reaching out and wants to give her all the support in the world that she needs. we're certainly sorry to have her suffer with such pain, but we're here for her. >> kristi, i thank you very much. i want to bring you in, dan, to this discussion. yesterday, kerrigan was arraigned on charges of assault and battery but not murder or manslaughter. at this point, the family is standing behind him. >> yeah. >> they say that, you know, if anything, the dad probably died of a heart attack, and he played no role in that. so, how important will the results of the autopsy be in this? >> well, right now, the authorities are saying they're waiting to get those results back before they decide on any other charges, because think about what they have right now. what they say they have right now is a confession to the assault. that's what they claim that they have, and that's what they've charged him with. the problem is that even if he

died of a heart attack that resulted from this alleged assault, they could still charge him with manslaughter or murder. so, that will not necessarily mean that he won't be charged with a more significant crime. >> mark kerrigan, from what we understand, army veteran, he's battled substance abuse, mental illness. he's been in and out of jail for various violent crimes, including beating his ex-wife at one point. he also has a rather volatile relationship with his own parents. a couple years ago, they sued him for $100,000, money they say he owed them. will that past play any role? >> if he were to testify, it certainly would. meaning, if he were charged and if he were to take the witness stand, then definitely. other than that, in terms of what to charge him with, it shouldn't. prosecutors are human, judges are human, et cetera. but the bottom line is, it shouldn't matter when determining what to charge him with. they should be looking at what happened here in this specific event and determine what charges they think are appropriate. >> and very quickly -- we're out of time, but very quickly, the

family backing him, will that make it more difficult for the prosecutors? >> no. it's going to be the government, state versus the defendant. the family's input will be heard, listened to, but will not determine what the charges are. >> all right, dan abrams, thank you very much. >> all right. >> kristi yamaguchi, as well, thank you so much. >> and again, that was meredith earlier with kristi yamaguchi and dan abrams, and we also express our condolences to the kerrigan family today. we'll be right back after this. what if this year, i got a new job, added 800 minutes, went hybrid... hey. added a dependent... ( baby noises ) ... and became a first time home buyer ? what if 2009 was my craziest year ever ? when life changes, an experienced h&r block tax pro will find every deduction you've got coming. click, call or come over. h&r block: get it right. and learn life skills to lose weight and change your life,

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this morning on "today's travel," romantic getaways for valentine's day. whether you're in the mood for an exotic escape or a roman holiday, "travel & leisure" has terrific ideas sure to appeal to your sweetie. nilou motamed is here. nilou, good to see you. >> i love how you make me blush. it's perfect. >> wanted to get that out of the way. a lot of deals. >> there are lots of rose petals everywhere. lots of great packages that are going to be value-added. this is a good time to book. also, we have three weeks until valentine's day, so we're planning kind of early. >> so, let's start off, tree house. is a tree house romantic? >> oh, my god, come on, tarzan, jane? >> ooh. you want to try that again? >> no, i can't. i don't want to ruin the mike. yes, of course it's romantic! especially if you're in the

middle of a rain forest in costa rica. >> ooh. >> the treehouse lodge on the southern coast of costa rica. you're in the middle of a rain forest, absolutely secluded. >> whoa! >> there are only four tree houses, and yes, you're surrounded by nature. >> i don't want to know what the toilet tissue is. >> so, what's great about this is it's very sustainable, very eco, but you also get to play out the fantasy. you get to lie in hammocks, you get the watch the monkeys at 5:00 p.m., when they come out, and the iguanas as well. there's a green iguana preserve here. and for $200. that's romantic. >> comes with its own alarm clock? >> you have to use your own. >> you have a great deal at pampering in a spa, naples, florida. >> well, the ritz carlton in naples, florida, is one of "travel & leisure's" favorite hotels. in fact, it's their favorite in all of florida. so, this is a place to go for a spa vacation, little relaxation. they have a 51,000-square-foot spa. >> wow! >> so, there's no question you'll get a great couples

massage, but why not do something different? which is, poolside, get an ultimate cabana experience. you rent a cabana for the day, you get a cabana butler. there are four food services, two massages. you get a staffed mini bar. they pamper -- >> how much is all this? >> it's a little pricey, $500, but if you include all the stuff that's thrown in there -- >> it's not bad. >> and the fact that you get the cabana for the day, it's not bad. and you're going to be impressing your loved one. >> i actually rode out hurricane wilma at naples ritz carlton. >> and did they take good care of you? >> i had room service during the hurricane. it was terrific. >> that's the same butler. >> star gazing in hawaii. >> you think about surfing, learning the hula, whale watching, and you can do all that. but at night, the fireworks come out, because maui is the star-gazing capital of the u.s. >> and this is the hyatt regency? >> this is the hyatt regency there, and they have what's called an astronomy director. we've heard of the concierge in charge of romance. this is a guy in charge of astronomy. they have an incredible 16-inch telescope, and you can go up to

the roof. they have chocolate-covered strawberries and champagne and you can watch the stars. >> very cool. now, let's go on a roman holiday. casa mane? >> casa mane. now, if you're going to rome, you have to do as the romans do, and how better than if you have a roman at your disposal? casa manni had a famous architect design a one-bedroom apartment for him in the heart of rome. now, you're minutes from the colosseum, from the forum. that's fine. now what's the next step? he opens up his black book and gives you all of his insider access. if you want to go to the sistine chapel with one of the best art history york yorans in italy, he'll take care of that. if you want to learn how to make kusili with a master pasta maker, he'll do that for you. >> how much? >> now, this is a little pricey. this is $800 a night, but for rome, this is actually very reasonable. one more thing, though. >> yes. >> if you want to propose, this is the place to do it. you want a michelin star chef to

come cook dinner for you in your room and then leave? >> then leave. >> i had to mention the leave -- >> unless you have a little extra. >> no, no, no, they leave. >> okay. nilou, thank you very much. happy valentine's day a little early. >> a little early. all right. how's the state of your union? we're going to look at love and marriage in america. when the phone rings, hey it's payton and it's like oh boy, what's this going to be. i want to do a portrait, of every man, woman and child in this beautiful country of ours... 300 million people, at one time. i said, i can do it but you better get me my left handed scissors. we're going to take a snapshot ("pop") of america. isn't that what the census is doing? yeah who's in? he sure is working up an appetite up there. bet you guys are, too. how about some hamburger helper? cheeseburger mac... how 'bout some after the show? hamburger helper. one pound. one pan. one tasty meal.

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>> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson hit proposed changes to the city's ethics laws are being reviewed to prevent future discrepancies in cases like baltimore mayor sheila dixon. incoming mayor stephanie rawlings-blake says the two bills introduced to the council will he ensure openness and transparency and fairness. one would impact the ethics board, and instead of being controlled by the mayor, the five members would be chosen by the council president, comptroller, and madrid a measure seeks to clarify and expand the ethics law. >> people need to understand that their public vessels are being aboveboard -- public officials are being above board

at all times and not being influenced by special gifts and relationships that may be polluting our process. >> the changes are officially referred to as the lipscomb loophole. a prince george's county man will spend the rest of his life behind bars for the murder of an aberdeen man. he was sentenced to life without parole for murdering the man during a robbery in april 2008. last april, a second suspect was sentenced to life for his role in the crime. now let's look to the forecast with tony pann. >> thinks should be quiet in the weather department today. a 30% chance of snow flurries. that would be mostly in the northern suburbs. high temperatures in the low-to- mid-forties. we are going to make it up to 39 on wednesday. " front on wednesday. after that could be kind of interesting to read a start out of the southern plains on friday and saturday.

high temperatures in the low-to- mid-thirties. too early to give any details beyond that at this point. >> thank you for joining us. see you back here at 9:55.

♪ ♪ we must live each day like it's the last ♪ "this is it." these are some of the last images of michael jackson rehearsing for his "this is it" tour. well, coming up, we have a special treat. michael's choreographer and some dancers who were supposed to dance at those concerts will show off their moves live in our studio. we were just watching them rehearse little bit. pretty cool. >> boy, do they have those moves down. they strut in that michael jackson kind of way. there's a specific look and feel to it. >> really feel his presence in their dance. >> it's amazing what that

concert would have been like. >> such a shame we'll never know. and coming up, we have a look at the american marriage -- >> that was a hard turn. >> i just keep going. i just keep going. do you believe in love at first sight? >> yes. >> we have the good, the bad, the ugly on how some women describe their relationships. >> okay. all right, also ahead, an inspiring young woman who's not giving up on a city and neighborhood many people have turned their backs on. we're going to show you the very personal events that have given her the inspiration to make positive changes. >> good for her. also, another hard turn -- are the foods you're eating making you sick? sometimes it's hard to tell, but if you regularly experience bloating or cramping from a meal, you may be lactose or gluten-intolerant. we'll look at the symptoms of those and there's some advice we have, some alternatives that might help you feel better. and then later on, the always spunky sharon osbourne has a new gig this morning. she's co-hosting with kathie lee. >> wow. >> and there she is getting ready for her close-up. >> i don't know which is harder, being married to ozzie or

co-hosting with kathie lee. >> i think sharon's excited about both. she loves her husband and loves kathie lee. >> and she's drinking her coffee. she's going to need it. >> meanwhile, al -- >> she has no idea what we're saying. today, sunshine up and down the eastern seaboard, windy conditions in the plains. more wet weather comes into california. that shower activity stays through tomorrow morning. then we've got rain down >> it will be a much better commute today, at least weather- wise. a mixture of sunshine and clouds expected. only a 30% chance of a couple of sno

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this morning on "today's relationships," the state of your union. as the president focuses on the nation's issues this week, why not reflect on the issues in your own union, your marriage? "redbook" magazine recently asked more than 2,000 women to open up about love and marriage, and here to discuss the results, we've got editor stacy morrison and psychotherapist robi ludwig. good to have you both with us this morning. >> good morning. >> good morning. >> i find this fascinating. when asked whether women knew that their husband was the one, most women said they knew either immediately or after a few weeks. so, do you think these responses are accurate or maybe some optimistic hindsight? >> well, after you get married, you can always look back and say, oh, my god, i knew right away that i met the one, but i think if you look back in realtime, there's always some question. you want it to be the right person, but there's no guarantees. >> do you think they were telling the truth? >> i think attraction is just an instantaneous thing. now, whether attraction can work for a long-term relationship is

a question, but you do have an immediate attraction. and that's a terrific foundation. >> here's a statistic. 9% of married women say they're still not sure he's the one. wow! >> actually, i thought that was a low statistic, actually, really. >> i know. i was surprised, too. >> but who would admit that? >> but i think it's important to admit that. as we know, every marriage has its long, hard winter when you're really struggling, and i thought it was kind of shocking that only 9% of women were actually in that moment in their marriage. >> it's really very normal to have ambivalence about a lot of things in your lives, and marriage is a huge decision. so, i think when people get disappointed or things get tough, people start to question, is my real husband out there somewhere? >> right. >> and that doesn't necessarily mean that you married the wrong person. it just means you're in life and life brings a lot of complex issues and this is a question that can be raised quite often. >> exactly. >> okay. a whopping 27% of married women dated their husbands for less

than a year before they tied the knot. does that surprise you? >> it did surprise me, actually. i tend to think that people are more cautious about marriage, but again, it shows the power and pull of attraction. >> well, yeah. it didn't surprise me that much, because i think when people are older and they really know themselves, and it doesn't necessarily take as long to determine if you've meth the right person. you know what you're looking for, you know what works in your life and you don't necessarily need to take three years to figure out if you have a working partnership. >> although 35% of women dated their husbands two to three years before they got married. >> right. >> so, is that kind of the lucky number, it seems? >> that's the average. that's really what's typical. and it makes most sense. you would live through all seasons, you would have survived a couple of family holidays together. you probably would have gone through some hard times together, and it's at that moment that you can look and say i'm going to bet on this. >> there's no magic amount of time, but you need to use your head and your heart. so, you need to be attracted to the person and you need on think do we really want the same

things, can this work? >> you talk about attraction. we were told opposites attract. in this survey, 44% of women say they're more alike than different, while 22% say they're opposites. is that a surprise? >> some people love to be with a mirror image of who they are. they say, oh, my god, we're so in sync, i love people like myself and they find similarities in their partner. other people choose partners who have complimentary traits. so, they balance each other out. and together -- >> right. >> -- it's really a nice working relationship. >> and what opposites attract is really talking about is that tension and tingle. like, it's fun to be with somebody who's a little different than you are, but the fact is, even if you have wildly different personality traits, if you're the life of the party, as i bet you are -- >> not really. >> and somebody else is more quiet and shy and retiring, it's fun to be with that person. but you share bedrock values. this is where you're really alike. >> that's true. >> here's what -- almost half of the women surveyed rarely go out on dates with their husbands. >> right. >> i don't know whether it says if they go on dates with other

people, but why aren't couples making time for each other? >> because life gets in the way, because there are to-do lists and laundry and groceries, and right now with the economy and bills to pay, people are having a hard time coming out of the stress. >> but it's important, isn't it? >> it's important, but listen, if you can't afford a date night or can't work it out, what's important is that you spend quality time with your partner so you can really attend to one another. and let's face it, it's easier to do on a date night but you can create that time where you're just spending loving time together at home, too. >> it doesn't have to be dinner and a movie or $100 on a babysitter -- >> you can define what a date is. >> right. >> "redbook" is a huge fan of the 15-minute date. get up 15 minutes before the kids and have coffee together and talk about what they did yesterday. >> and fighting, what do couples fight about? >> well, money. >> that's the number one? >> it's been the number one for years, but it is now because of the hard economic times. and the second thing they fight about, the small stuff. what does what, who does it right, who does it more right.

the answer, of course, is the women. >> that's what you normally fight about in a marriage. >> they fight about the small stuff and ignore the needs, but that's why you need date night. >> the small stuff is about the needs! >> no arguing here. >> we're not going to argue. >> stacy morrison and robi ludw ludwig. and thanks for wearing the pirate shirt, little "seinfeld." >> thank you for pointing it out. coming up, an inspiring woman motivated by tragedy. e ho! the magic's in the mix. my favorite part? eating it. honey bunches of oats. taste the joy we put in every spoonful. honey bunches of oats. we call the bunches in honey bunches of oats the prize in the box. well, now there's a prize inside the prize. pecans! pecans! baked into crunchy oat bunches. taste the delicious surprise in every spoonful. new honey bunches of oats with pecan bunches. beautiful. vo: we didn't think the unlimited soup, salad and breadsticks lunch at olive garden could get any better until we tried the chicken and gnocchi soup

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this morning on "today's update," part two of my visit with michigan teens who found a new way of life. it's called buildon, a national non-profit and after-school program empowering students to give back. 16-year-old rya gadie has learned the importance of service, and i had a chance to find out how her desire to rebuild her community has been shaped by her family. >> like, i feel like the people are never taking any responsibility for the things they're doing. they keep blaming it on the council members, the mayors, but what are you doing to help the city? you're not doing anything but sitting there. >> reya gaddi and three others are passionate about contributing their time and talents to return detroit and its neighboring areas to glory through the non-profit buildon. they also want safety in their

streets, a message that reya's story especially brings home. tell me what happened with your brother, arnez. >> oh, gosh, i remember the day perfectly. my dad called me and said, you know, arnez has been shot. he was driving on the freeway, dudes pulled up, started shooting in the car, and one of the bullets tore right through his spinal cord. my brother was killed in detroit -- >> gang violence related, then? >> no gang violence. they just started shooting without knowing who it is. >> reporter: reya and her five siblings were raised by her parents in highland park near detroit. the family still mourns arnez's death, but she's turned this into focus. she's optimistic and hopeful about the need to build up her decaying community. >> on every block, there's at least like two or three abandoned houses, like, homes that's off the foundation. it's horrible. this should not be. >> why have you not given up?

>> because i don't want to give up. i want to succeed because i want my kids and great grandkids and so on and so forth. when i become successful, which i know i will -- >> i hope you do. >> like, i want to give back to my community, both highland park and detroit. >> reporter: reya's parents have also helped instill in their daughter the importance of giving back. >> no matter how much you have, it's important to give back. >> do you remember better days here? >> the street was really a lot better and the houses are now worn down and tore up and broken down like it is. >> what happened? is it because of the economy? people give up? >> i think so, probably both. >> for the most part, highland park is a good city. >> you believe in it still? >> yeah, i believe in it. >> that's where your daughter seems to have that same conviction. >> see, if you don't have hope, you won't have no dreams. >> i know it's been a tough year for your whole family. >> right. >> can you tell me about arnez? >> he loved his family, loved

his siblings, and he always had some words, some goals, some inspiration to help him to grow on. >> what do you think he taught reya? >> to have faith. >> faith and faith. >> i wish he was here really to see, you know, the things that she's doing. he would just be so proud. he always told her, no matter what happens, keep your head up. >> is that what you do, then? is that why you work so hard? >> even though he's in a better place, i know he's still proud of me and he's still looking down smiling. so, it helps. >> and jim zille cow ski is president and ceo of buildon. good morning to you, again, jim. >> good morning. >> she's such an impressive, young woman and to already have been through so much in her life. but really, those are the kinds of kids that buildon has brought into the program, right? >> they are. you know, we're running programs in 118 schools across the united states, and we're working with a

lot of kids that deal with adversity, but reya's truly special with the courage that she has. she's really stepped up. on her birthday, which happens two weeks after her brother died every year, she does service. she goes and works with folks from the detroit vet center and relates to them in a very, very special way, and she's a very important leader of buildon. >> how important is it, the message that these kids are getting as well, in giving back to their communities? it's empowering them, but it's also giving so much more to them and to their communities. >> oh, it's transformational, i think. for folks that are living in the communities and they see the kids stepping up, they see the change and the courage that they have, and they want to -- the way they want to address the issues head on. and it's transformational for the kids. they realize that they can make a difference. >> it's like a ripple effect that they've started. >> it's an enormous ripple effect. they realize they can help other people. they realize they can make change in their own lives. and 93% of the kids we work with go on to college. >> that's amazing. >> it's not because we're an

academic program. we empower kids to make a difference in their communities, and that's what's happened with thousands of kids. >> so many great young people i've had a chance to meet with buildon as well. >> and if anybody's interested in getting involved, go to buildon.org. we have a big old pledge thing on our home page. take the buildon pledge. you can start a chapter. you can get involved immediately and make a big difference. >> we hope people do that. jim zilokowski, thank you very much. you do a great job. so impressed, as always. for more information on buildon, go to buildon.org or head to our website, todayshow.com. coming up next, could what you eat make you sick? we're going it tell you some of

time was, if you got into trouble out here, chris collins, volunteer firefighter, would be there to save your life. then one night, hit by a car at an accident scene, it was his turn to ride in the ambulance. after years of rehab, chris has learned to take care of himself. but money is so tight, he has trouble staying warm. he just can't afford heating oil. nice to meet you, chris. nice to meet you, and thanks for the oil. you look like you're a fighter, chris. well, i guess i have to be. chris is among the millions of americans

who risk their lives each and every day to keep us safe -- our firefighters, our police officers, our emts and first responders -- men and women who sacrifice for others and sometimes need our help. chris: thanks, joe, and thanks to citgo and the people of venezuela. hi, i'm joe kennedy from citizens energy, your nonprofit oil company. if you need help staying warm this winter, give us a call at... because no one should be left out in the cold. this morning on "eat smart today" is what you're eating making you sick? if you regularly experience bloating, cramping or general digestive discomfort after a

meal, "today's" nutrition expert joy bauer says it could be an intolerance to gluten or lactose. good morning. >> good morning. >> let's talk about these one by one. lactose intolerance. we're not talking about an allergy, which causes severe symptoms, but we're talking about something a step down from that. >> that's right, and it's not dangerous or life-threatening, but it's downright uncomfortable. it's when you have an inability to digest lactose, which is the milk sugar within milk. >> and 30 million to 50 million people have this. >> a lot of people. >> and i'm actually one of them, so i'm there right with you. it makes you feel nauseous. you don't feel good. so, you have some examples here. for example, there are lots of alternatives. >> these are alternatives, that's right. first, we have the lactose-free milks. it looks like milk, it feels like milk, it is milk, but companies through technology have predigested the lactose. so they're not going to give you a problem. you also have soy milk, which is not from a cow, so it never had lactose to begin with, and it's loaded with calcium and vitamin d, so it's all good. >> i drink a lot of almond milk, by the way. i make that myself or buy it.

>> it's another good alternative. >> is it? >> it doesn't have quite the same amount of protein, and you want to make sure it's fortified with calcium and then it's an equal player. >> okay. also, you know, soy yogurt actually tastes pretty good. it has the probiotics in it as well, and they have ice creams. >> lactoslactose-free ice creamh soy ice creams. >> and the cheeses. >> the hard cheeses are super low in lactose, so i want people to know that you have an intolerance, you might be able to tolerate some hard cheeses. and the lakt yas pills are interesting. it's actually the enzyme which helps you to break down lactose. there are a lot of great brands out there and you can keep them on hand. >> let's move to gluten, because this has really become a buzz word. >> big, yeah. >> people are realizing there are two things. one is celiac disease, which is very serious. >> very serious. >> what is that, exactly? they're born with it. >> well, celiac disease is an autoimmune disease where you cannot tolerate wheat -- the protein called gluten, which is in wheat, barley and rye.

you have to get it out of your diet completely. and other people have an intolerance or a sensitivity to it, which is way less serious. >> and about celiac disease, by the way, you can have a blood test that basically finds out and they can lead you down the road to really diagnosing yourself. and you really want to get it out because you can't digest other foods and it can be bad for you. >> right. because if you damage the intestinal area, you're not absorbing the vitamins and minerals and then you have side symptoms like osteoporosis or anem anemia, but go to your doctor and check it out if you suspect you have it. >> but if you're eating wheat and feeling bloated and yucky afterwards, it's possible you have an intolerance to gluten, so -- >> which is much less serious. >> we have gluten-free cereals and breads now. and corn you can eat. that is a gluten-free item. >> and rice is fine. >> rice is good. >> and go for brown rice products, because i'm always with the nutritional eye, you want the whole grain -- >> they have lots of pastas now made gluten-free. i love these bars. >> i put a list of great brands

on the website. what you're going to do -- i made two batches of pancakes. >> you made these pancakes? >> i made these -- >> you made these? >> well, bianca made the pancakes. >> i know all about the truth. >> one is with wheat and one is gluten-free. take a little nibble and then you're going to put which one you think is -- >> glu >> live, local, latebreaking. this is wbal-tv 11 news today in baltimore. >> good morning. i am lisa robinson. baltimore city police hope that dna evidence will determine if the rape of a woman inside her west baltimore apartment is connected to a string of recent sexual assaults. the recent attack took place on sunday at callow avenue. she was asleep in a ground-floor apartment when someone slipped in through an unlocked window. dna tests are being conducted to see if the attack is connected to four others in the area over. over.

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>> welcome back. at the weather should be nice and quiet compared to yesterday. maybe just a couple of snow flurries. a 30% mark on that. it would be mostly in the northern suburbs. a high temperature of around 44 degrees. i stay tomorrow, and the up on the chilly side. -- a nice day tomorrow, a little bit on the chilly side. a chance for snow at the end of the week. >> see you back here for 11 news

and noon.

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